Ashes to Ashes
by Patch Cipriano's Angel
Summary: "Dear Diary, everything is not fine. Not at all. I know that what I've done is wrong. I miss my home. My friends. My brother. I tried so hard to be okay that I even began to believe it. But only for a moment." After the death of her parents, Elena Gilbert is sent to Cross Academy where she meets Zero, a young man with a tragic history of his own. Elena/Zero
1. Chapter 1

_Light shines on my face, when I need my space._

_I've been feeling blue. Well, how about you?_

_Now, this bird has flown. Like I've always known it would._

_Maybe someday soon, you'll be flying too._

_See me roam. See me climb._

_If I leave here now, I could make good time._

_See me fall. See me rise._

_Grab me one last look. Then I wave goodbye._

_Goodbye._

_Wave Goodbye – Steadman_

Elena Gilbert gazed at the gated structure in front of her, her emotions flurrying about inside of her. On the one hand, she could understand why her aunt would do this. On the other, she couldn't believe what was happening. She pulled the gate open and stepped inside, making her way down the cobblestone path.

Elena halted and turned, watching as her aunt, Jenna, climbed into the taxi and the car slowly shrank into the horizon. Elena wanted to sprint after her. To apologize. To beg to be allowed to come home. She wanted to leave. To see her friends again. To see her _brother_ again. But, she couldn't.

Instead, she was rooted in place, her sorrow boring a hole into her stomach. She wished she hadn't done the things that landed her here. The things that had Jenna deem her so petulant and uncontrollable that she couldn't handle her. Already, she missed home. Elena didn't want to be here.

Didn't want to be at Cross Academy. The famous boarding school for wealthy and entitled kids. Elena balked when she'd heard what the entrance fee was. Not to mention the contributions to keep the place up and running. _Plus_ what you had to go through to get your child _accepted._

_Thank god for mom and dad's hefty life insurance, eh, Jenna?_ Elena thought so scathingly that her heart was sliced open on the words. Tears glistened in her eyes as she lowered them and began to make her way to the headmaster's office, training her eyes on the ground to avoid the curious stares of the other teens as they milled around, going about their daily activities.

She trudged to the building the office was in and stepped inside. Part of her wanted to look around, but the other part wanted to run. The atmosphere of this place alone was enough that she didn't feel right even standing on the stairs that fed to the grounds. _This place feels wrong,_ her instincts whispered to her.

_Or maybe you're just overthinking things because you want to go home?_ Her mind said. She shook off the thought and walked up the staircase and into the office. She knocked and heard a man say softly, "Yes, come in." She stepped into the office and faced a man seated at the desk.

He seemed to be in his thirties and his blonde hair was bound into a ponytail. His hazel eyes were warm and his entire demeanor communicated that he was more fatherly than intimidating. Elena's guard flew up and she went rigid, swallowing, and shifted from foot to foot.

"Please, sit, Elena." The man said; his voice was soft, warm, and soothing. Elena walked to the chair he indicated and sat. He flipped through her transfer papers, "I see that your parents weren't listed in any of your paperwork. Why?" "They're dead," Elena replied, avoiding his eyes. "I am so sorry to hear that,"

He sounded so sincere that Elena wanted to believe him. Unfortunately, she also wanted to scream, stamp her feet and demand to be sent home. Inwardly, she cringed at the thought. _How childish._ She thought of herself. "Well, I do see that your aunt is listed as your legal guardian, so that clears up the confusion."

"I guess she's still…" Elena faltered, searching for the words to express what she thought, "Grief-stricken, I suppose?" She finished doubtfully. The door opened with a _bang_ and a girl cried breathlessly, "Headmaster, I came as quickly as –" She broke off when she spotted Elena. "Oh, are you the new transfer student?"

Elena nodded, "Elena." "I'm Yuki," The girl said. She was pretty, with shoulder-length brown hair and russet eyes. "Yuki," The headmaster began. "I'm sorry," Yuki bowed, "I would've been here earlier, but –" The headmaster cut in, "Elena, Yuki is on the Disciplinary Committee, so don't hesitate to come to her if you have any problems."

Elena blinked, disbelief clouding her features. Why had he stopped Yuki? "Yuki, would you please escort Miss Gilbert to the dormitory?" The headmaster asked politely. "Of course, Headmaster," Yuki said respectfully and bowed before turning to Elena, who stood. She blew out a soft sigh, acceptance pounding its way through her mind.

That was it. The matter was settled and Elena could do _nothing about it._ She crossed the room, stepping beside Yuki. "I told you," The headmaster cried, "It's 'Father'!" Elena's eyes widened as she turned to stare at the girl next to her. Yuki simply smiled at Elena in an apologetic manner and lead her from the room.

"So, what was that about, back there?" Elena gestured to the headmaster's office. "Oh, that." Yuki laughed nervously, pressing her palm to her forehead, "Nothing to worry about." She waved her free hand. _This place is definitely odd…_ Elena thought as Yuki guided her from the building and across a bridge to another building that looked like a mansion. Elena gaped at the building.

It had two sections and a tower that tapered off into a spire. _Two_ towers. Yukie ushered Elena into one of the partitions of the mansion. Elena realized that this must be the girls' side of the Dormitory. Yuki led Elena up flights of stairs to a door and opened the door to reveal a room with a table with two love-seat sized chairs sat in the center of the room.

Bookshelves were braced against the wall, but they were barren. A desk sat near a window, a chair in front of it. Yuki gestured Elena to another door and pushed it open, revealing a double bed and a chest of drawers. A full length mirror perched next to a door that Elena presumed was the closet.

"This is the only room we have available. You are the only transfer this year, so, you will have this room to yourself." Yuki stepped into the room and swept her arm to the window, "But look! You have a fantastic view of the lake!" Elena laughed softly at the other girl's attempt to make up for the room.

"It's okay," Elena said. "Really." She dumped her suitcase onto the bed and gazed around. The room was big enough to house two girls and their belongings. But, even with Yuki there, it still felt lonely. Elena sat on the edge of the bed and dissolved into tears.

"Oh, Elena!" Yuki cried, bewildered at the sudden change in the other girl, "I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?" Elena shook her head, her hand covering her mouth, "I'm sorry," the girl gasped, "I just – This entire day –" She blubbered, sure that she was making an even greater fool of herself than she already had.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yuki asked carefully. Elena shook her head, "No. I'll be fine." When Yuki hadn't looked reassured, Elena managed a watery smile, "I swear." "Oh, okay…" The other girl excused herself to attend to her duties and Elena gazed around the room.

Finally, she forced herself to her feet and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up. She stepped into the room and leaned against the sink, wiping her tears away and turned on the taps. Warm water poured from the sink's faucet and the brunette dipped her hands under the downpour of water.

She cupped water and splashed it onto her face. She washed away her tears before dabbing her face with a soft white towel before observing her reflection. Her nose was red and her eyes bloodshot. _I look terrible…_ She thought absently. She pushed away from the sink and returned to her room.

Elena ripped her suitcase open and pulled out her diary and a pen before pushing her window open perched on the ledge, flipping the book open. She poised the nib of her pen over a blank page and wrote;

_Dear Diary,_

_Everything is __not__ fine. Not at all. I know that what I've done is wrong. But this seems to be the cruelest form of punishment. I miss my home. My friends. My __brother__. I tried so hard to be okay that I even began to believe it. But only for a moment. This place just seems to __–_

She choked back a sob and scratched out the lines she wrote. _Breathe,_ she thought, _breathe, Elena._ She gazed at the lake, eyeing the glassy surface of the water. A breeze whipped by, causing the once still water to ripple and the tree branches to sway and moan.

Elena placed her hands on her journal, holding the fluttering pages down and when the wind stopped; she braced her feet against the frame before starting again;

_Dear Diary,_

_Tomorrow will be different. It will have to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say, "I'm fine, thank you. Yes, I feel much better." I will no longer be the sad little girl that lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through._

When she'd finished writing, she climbed off the windowsill, shivering at the chill that frosted the air. She closed her window and latched it before turning and walking to the bathroom, carrying her toiletries.

Elena wriggled out of her clothes and stepped into the shower, turning on the taps, wincing as the warm water cascaded over her body, making her cold skin prickle unpleasantly. After she'd washed and warmed her icy flesh, she walked back to her room, dressed in pajamas, biting her lip.

The room seemed so lonely. And so empty. She peeled back the covers and crawled into bed. As she slowly fell asleep, she could have sworn that she'd heard a laugh rip through the arctic night air.


	2. Chapter 2

_Now, some they do. And some they don't. And some you just can't tell._

_And some they will. And some they won't. For some, it's just as well._

_You laugh at my behavior. That'll never bother me._

_Say the devil is my savior. But I don't pay no heed._

_And I will go on shining. Shining like brand new._

_I'll never look behind me. My troubles will be few. _

_Goodbye, Stranger. It's been nice._

_Hope you find your paradise. Tried to see your point of view._

_Hope your dreams will all come true. _

_Goodbye, Mary. Goodbye, Jane. Will we ever meet again?_

_Feel no sorrow. Feel no shame. Come tomorrow feel no pain._

_Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp_

Elena stirred as pale, white sunlight spilled in through the window, blanketing her in its warmth. She blinked rapidly as the world came into focus, the alarm clock next to her beeping. She glanced at the time before pushing herself up and off the bed.

For a moment, she'd expected to hear her aunt, Jenna, shouting up the stairs for her to come downstairs for breakfast and to hear Jeremy complain about the earliness of the hour. But, she didn't. There was nothing and no one.

Elena walked to the closet, pulling it open, spotting uniforms hanging sadly in the nearly empty wardrobe. The brunette resigned to her fate and pulled a hanger from the rack and divested herself of her pajamas. As she pulled on the white button-down shirt and black skirt, she reflected on the process for her acceptance.

The recommendations and exam, the interview and entry procedure. It seemed as though the entire school was covering a huge secret. _Or maybe you're just looking for a reason to get out of this school._ The voice of reason chimed.

"No, I'm past that." Elena muttered, pulling on her black jacket.

"Past what?" A familiar voice chirruped.

Elena turned as she fumbled with the red ribbon to see Yuki poke her head into the room.

Yuki waved cheerfully, "I came to check in on you." She stepped into the room and took the ribbon from Elena, "Here, let me help you." She wound and looped the ribbon into a bow.

"There!" Elena smiled her thanks and pulled on black over-the-knee socks. "So, do you think you could show me where to go?" She asked of the Disciplinary Committee member. "I might get lost. This place is so big…" She trailed off, fishing for information.

Yuki nodded as the other brunette pulled on a pair of ankle boots. "It can be a bit confusing, but you'll find your way around. Until then, I'll guide you."

Elena's smile faltered a little, "Yeah. I guess I will." She stood and tucked her schoolbooks into a bag and lugged them to the door. "Alright, let's go."

Yuki guided her from the Dormitory and across the bridge, and through the dorm gates, chattering the entire time. Elena nodded as she listened politely, attempting to keep up with the conversation. _She kind of reminds me of Caroline… _Elena thought, feeling her heartache at the remembrance of the blonde.

They reached the end of the bridge when Elena noticed that the pathway branched off to the right, feeding to yet another bridge. "Where does that go?" Elena's curiosity was piqued.

Yuki followed Elena's gaze, "Oh! That leads to the Moon Dormitory."

"Moon… Dormitory?" Elena said haltingly. _Weird name for a dormitory…_

"Yeah," Yuki laughed slightly, "It's a Dormitory for the _elite_. The honor students."

"Oh," Elena blinked; her mind racing. She didn't recall reading or hearing about a dorm for honor students. "This place just got weirder…" She muttered, following Yuki to the school building.

"What's your class number?" Yuki asked, glancing at Elena over her shoulder.

Elena's eyes widened as her amber globes flitted around, struggling to remember. "Erm…" Yuki paused, waiting for her to continue. "I don't –" Elena held out a slip of paper.

Yuki took the leaf of paper and read it, "Oh!" She said with a nod, "We're in the same class."

Elena's brows rose. It was a relief and a shock at the same time. She followed the brunette Disciplinary Committee member into a classroom. Elena's eyes widened. It was the kind of classroom that she'd only seen on TV, when television show characters attended college.

It was a bowl-shaped room, the teacher's desk; chair and blackboard resided at the bottom. Ascending the room were separate levels, each holding workspaces that wrapped around the curve in crescents and pew-like seats for the students.

Elena looked to and fro for a seat before Yuki called to her, "Elena! Come sit with us!" Elena wandered over to the girl and sat down at her left side, craning her neck to gaze around her. She spotted a girl sitting to the right of Yuki. The other girl had light brown hair that was shorter than Yuki's. Her eyes were hazel.

"Oh," Yuki started, "This is Yori." She beamed.

Elena blinked at her, marveling at her ability to remain cheerful and smiled at Yori, "Hi. I'm Elena. I just transferred here."

Yori returned Elena's smile and greeted her kindly. Elena's attention was stolen when the teacher entered and began his lecture. Everything he said seemed to completely go over the Gilbert girl's head. _What the…?_ She thought, looking around the classroom.

The students in this school seemed to be semesters ahead of her classmates from Mystic Falls. Just thinking about her old school seemed to shatter her heart again. Homesickness came over her again. _This… all this…_

"Elena, are you okay?" Yuki asked, worry coloring her voice.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," Elena nodded, drawing a sharp breath.

She blinked away the tears that clouded her vision and straightened her back, facing the teacher with new determination. _No,_ she thought, _I will not forget what I vowed last night._ She listened, making notes to look up and read about what he spoke about. The school day seemed to drag on and on.

Breaks for lunch and PE were interspersed with time in the classroom. She drifted from class to class, feeling not unlike a fish out of water. The other students seemed to learn at an alarming rate. Elena eventually exited the classroom, rubbing her temple.

Her head pounded with an angry headache, which arose sometime during her final class. What were these kids? Superhuman? She exited the school and wandered off the path and towards a thicket of trees; she wandered until she came upon a barn and a fence.

She caught a familiar scent that took her back to riding lessons on a vacation she went with her parents. A soft nicker was carried upon the wind and Elena closed her eyes, remembering the laughter and fun that occurred on that vacation. Her parents, her brother.

She slowly moved to a tree and dropped her bag and sat at the base of the tree and pulled her diary free and uncapped her pen, flipping to a blank page. She poised the pen above the lined page and wrote;

_Dear Diary, I made it through the day. I must have said, "I'm fine, thanks." at least 37 times, and I didn't mean it once. And no one noticed. When someone asks, "How are you?" They really don't want an answer._

"You're in my spot," A surly voice spoke as a shadow fell upon her. Elena gasped softly and tipped her head back to gaze up, her eyes squinting to focus on the intruder. Rouge painted her cheeks when she saw the source of the darkness. _Oh, my __gawd!_ Caroline's voice found its way into her mind. _Male earthlings don't look __that __good._

She shoved the thought away and drank in the stranger; he had creamy pale skin and silver hair that fell over his forehead and down his neck. His eyes were a shade of lavender that she'd never seen before. And he was tall. _Good god in heaven._

Elena saw what appeared to be two silver earrings in his right earlobe and three earrings in the cartilage of his left ear. He was wearing the Academy uniform. But, not in the way it was intended. His jacket was open, exposing his vest and his tie was loose. He had his hands pushed into his pockets.

Elena could see what looked to be a tattoo on his throat, peeking over the edge of his collar. He looked just like the kind of boy her mother warned her to stay away from. But, Elena was frozen in place, almost terrified to make a move. She felt that if she had, it'd be the end of her.

The way this boy was gazing at her sent icy shocks to her stomach. She quivered under his glacial gaze, clutching at her diary as though it were a lifesaver, tossed to rescue her from drowning.

And then, a rage she'd never knew she could feel flared within her and she tossed her auburn locks over her shoulder and glowered at him. How _dare_ this boy make her feel inferior and frightened of him? Her indignation rose as she stood, a scowl twisting her lips as she snapped, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this tree had your name on it."

She ignored the way his eyes widened, disbelief painting his beautiful features and gathered her things and flounced away. _Really!_ She thought. The memory of how lovely he looked only made her angrier. _Boys like __him_ - _!_ She seethed silently, sick of boys who were all beauty and no brains, drifting through their lives as though they could have everything they wanted just because they were beautiful.

She stomped along the path before looking around for Yuki, suddenly ashamed of abandoning her guide. _Oh, no._ Not only was she abashed, but she was lost. Suddenly, a chorus of screams startled her. She whirled around, searching for the source of the sound, before following it.

The shouts grew louder before she stepped onto the stone path. Elena spotted a group of girls at the dorm gates that separated the Moon Dormitory from the school building. _What on earth…?_

"What in God's name is going on?" She asked aloud.

"The changeover," A familiar voice replied to her spoken thought. She looked over, seeing Yori standing beside her.

"Which is what?" Elena asked, gazing at the crowd. _They're acting like groupies at a concert!_ She thought.

"The Night Class students' classes will be starting soon. The students from the Moon Dormitory have their classes during the night, so as not to disturb the Day Class students." Yori explained, shaking her head as she walked away, leaving Elena confused.

Yuki stood at the gates, shouting to the female students and soon, the silver-haired boy arrived and they held back the tide of girls. The gates open and Elena soon saw what the fuss was about. The group that stepped out took her breath away. They each were beautiful in their own way. Each dressed in the opposite of the Day Class uniform.

Where the Day Class wore black with white, grey and red accents, the Night Class opted for white with black, grey and red accents. Each of the Night Class students was a gleaming jewel. With the looks of a model, presence of a royal, and attitude of a rock star, the Night Class moved through the crowd.

Girls from the Day Class shrieked and pawed for the boys of the Night Class as Yuki and the boy struggled to keep them back. Elena placed her hand over her heart and fought for control as her body wrestled to move forward. She yearned to step closer to the students and join in with her classmates, but every inch of her prickled and screamed to stay back.

And once again, she got the sense that something was very off about this place. She didn't like it here. _Not. One. Bit._ She shook her head and forced her feet to move in the opposite direction. Elena strode towards the bridge to the Sun Dormitory. And it took every bit of self-control that she had on reserve.

She allowed herself one last glance over her shoulder, gazing at the beautiful Night Class students. _They're so lovely. No wonder the girls scream for them._ She thought, stepping through the dorm gate and walked towards the building that has now become her residence.

She stepped inside reluctantly and wandered down the winding corridors and up the stairs to her room and dropped onto her bed. _What a day!_ Elena's breath left her in a _whoosh_. _And it's only the first day_, the little voice purred.

_I shudder to think what tomorrow brings._ Elena countered. _Tomorrow…._ Her teeth sunk into her lower lip when she thought about the silver-haired boy. She hadn't meant to snap at him. It was just that he radiated such a presence that made her prickle. She didn't like the way he made her feel.

_I can always apologize tomorrow_. And she made a mental note to do just that. _But, for now..._ She thought, closing her eyes. She was so exhausted from her disastrous first day that she didn't even realize that her headache had gone.


End file.
